Biofouling plagues a wide spectrum of applications, from medical devices to maritime vessels. For the latter, biofouling increases the fuel consumption of the vessel, in turn leading to increased operational and maintenance costs. Conventionally, the method of prevention has been through the use of anti-biofouling paints and coatings which release biocides, such as cuprous oxide and tributyltin; however, due to the negative effects these chemicals have on the environment, the use of these systems is in decline.
Fluoropolymers, siloxanes and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) have been researched extensively as anti-biofoulers due to their unique chemical compositions. Fluoropolymers are of particular interest due to a low surface energy, low wettability and chemical stability. Siloxanes, specifically poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS), have shown anti-biofouling attributes due to their inertness, stability, and pliability. Commercially, PDMS coatings are marketed as non-toxic marine coatings due to the release and rejection of fouling agents under suitable hydrodynamic conditions. Poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), or poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO), has been used extensively in the field of marine applications, as well as in the medical field due to its ability to generate surfaces that resist non-specific protein adsorption.
Biofouling can result from a number of mechanisms but generally involves protein adhesion and deposition by microorganisms or organisms to surfaces exposed to, and typically in fluid communication with, an environment which harbors the microorganisms or organisms. In maritime applications alone, the costs associated with maintenance, increased vessel drag, and other consequences of biofouling are billions of dollars per year.
There is a need to reduce biofouling of susceptible surfaces. Fluoropolymers, siloxanes and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) have been researched as anti-biofoulers due to their unique chemical compositions. Fluoropolymers are of particular interest due to a low surface energy, low wettability and chemical stability. Siloxanes, specifically poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS), have shown anti-biofouling attributes due to their inertness, stability, and pliability. Commercially, PDMS coatings are marketed as non-toxic marine coatings due to the release and rejection of fouling agents under suitable hydrodynamic conditions. Poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), has been used extensively in the field of marine applications, as well as in the medical field due to its ability to generate surfaces that resist non-specific protein adsorption. Previously, linear PDMS has been modified to include hydrophilic and fluorinated moieties. However, the chemistries involved incorporation of linear PDMS backbones with chemical variation achieved via side group modification. This approach is limited, as it does not address the topological influences of surfaces in preventing biofouling. Topological heterogeneity in conjunction with chemical heterogeneity can further improve anti-biofouling performance through the inhibition of adhesive proteins that settle on the surface. Therefore, there remains a need for anti-biofouling compounds possessing significant topological and chemical heterogeneity.